by Nathaniel R.
Normally we wouldn’t pair an obituary, but in 24 hours we lost two actresses from the same generation who helped create an indisputably iconic character with a three-syllable name beginning with U. What were the chances? After the jump, tributes to Nichelle Nichols and Pat Carroll…
Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022)
Nichols, who was 89 years old, passed away yesterday. to go back to work a star trek phrase, she boldly went where no actress had gone before. That was mostly due to a lack of opportunity, of course, but culture always needs to come first and Nichols made waves. When the classic sci-fi show star trek began in 1966, Americans weren’t used to seeing black women on the television screen in non-domestic roles, and Diahann Carroll’s historic lead role in Julia There were still two television seasons to go. Nichols’s beauty and no-nonsense take on the capable Lieutenant Nyota Uhura was something entirely new at the time. Uhura was not only good at her job, but fourth in command of an entire starship. Weather star trek Not a huge ratings hit, the show made enough of an impact to last three seasons and amass such a legion of hardcore fans after its cancellation that a movie franchise was born just a decade later. Usually when my family went to the movies during my childhood, it was my idea. not so with him star trek movies they were eager to see. Yes, my family were trekkies and they watched the show on reruns. I never caught the error, but perked up every time an episode leaned towards Uhura or Sulu (easily my two favorite characters)
We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actress, pioneer and role model, who symbolized for so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts and inspired generations to reach for the stars. pic.twitter.com/pmQaKDb5zw
— NASA (@NASA) July 31, 2022
Nichols was not only one of the first black actresses as a regular on a major television show, but she is also believed to have had the first interracial kiss on American television in an episode in which Captain Kirk and Uhura Nichols embrace.
To his credit, Nichols embraced both the symbolic importance of his fictional character and his place in pop culture. She worked with NASA to promote the entry of women and minorities into the space program. She also used her status as queen of the genre for concerts in her last year as in the fantasy series. Heroesand voice work on both gargoyles Y futurama.
Pat Carroll (1927-2022)
Pat Carroll passed away today at the age of 95. Audiences today know Pat Carroll primarily for her Oscar-worthy and much-imitated/quoted vocal performance of her as Ursula, the sea witch in Disney’s smash hit. The little Mermaid (1989). The film saved the studio’s faltering animation wing by reinvigorating its purpose and audience interest simultaneously, winning an Oscar in the process. A big part of that was Carroll’s gleefully evil voice work. Here at The Film Experience we consider it one of the best voice acting of all time and Ursula one of the best villains of all time. But the sea witch was not half of her career. By 1989 he was already a showbiz mainstay with two major trophies on his shelf. While stardom never happened, he had a long career in all acting mediums.
His Grammy-winning momentShe was in the movies at age 20 (hometown girl), although he largely skipped film to concentrate on television and the stage. She won an Emmy at 30 (Caesar’s Hour) and also received a Tony nomination (to catch a star). At the age of 40 he returned to venture into the cinema (With Six You Get Eggroll) although she was mostly a regular on TV (The Danny Thomas Show, The Red Skelton Hour). When she was in her early 50s, she won a Grammy for a Spoken Word album of a woman’s play. Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein. Eight years after winning the Grammy, now 60 years old, The little Mermaid Opened. After the success of Disney, she continued to do voice work for several films, had many guest-starring gigs on television, and returned to Broadway twice.
He even had one last major movie role when he was 70, as part of the award-winning ensemble of song hunter (2000) for which she received a Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. We will miss her but, thanks to Ursula, her voice in particular will live on forever.
Do you remember the first time you saw the original? star trek series or the first time you watched The little Mermaid.